There is a beach on the opposite side of the island from the shipping lanes. When I came on Sunday, it was really packed with families.
My campsite overlooks the west entrance to the locks, so I can see the ships heading in or coming out. This one is heading into the locks traveling downstream.
Now, THIS is what you call a large campsite! I paid more for the view, but a bonus is the premium sites also are huge.
This is the tunnel under the locks that you have to use to get to the island where the state park is located. Never ridden my bike through a tunnel before, so I was glad no one was driving through and honking!
Got here just in time to see this one ship in the lock. They go in very slowly, and leave more quickly. What is interesting is that this lock can handle ships only 740 feet long or less. The locks at the Soo where I was a few weeks ago, can handle the largest ship on the Great Lakes, the Paul R. Tregurtha, which is 1014 feet long.
This one is headed upstream to Lake Ontario and beyond.
And here is the next ship, waiting to enter and head downstream.
It's beginning to lower. This lock lowers ships a full 40 feet. If it wants to reach the Atlantic Ocean, it will have six more locks to traverse.
Heading out. Note the open gate.
The safety bar is being lowered and the gate is closing. The safety bar prevents the ships from hitting the gates.
There is another ship in the distance, but it will be 45 minutes before it enters the lock, and since I had already watched two ships, I headed for home.
This is more than an hour later, but it is not the same ship as in the previous photo as it was headed downstream.
This is the first container ship I have seen anywhere in the Great Lakes. Rain clouds are building up so time for dinner and indoors.
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